Ch.157 Lizard is Looking for Someone

Hearing Peter Parker's call, Ronan couldn't help but roll his eyes. 

In front of everyone, I can't transform. What can I even do to help you? 

However, hearing the call from the "Failing Man," some people who hadn't run away yet also gathered around. 

Peter Parker was throwing people from the cars below the bridge up to the bridge, while the people on the bridge caught those flying up, much like acrobats in a circus. 

Every time someone was thrown up, there would inevitably be gasps of surprise. 

After a while, people got used to it. 

Among them, one car's fuel tank had leaked, and gasoline was spilling out. 

While Peter Parker rescued the child from the car, the vehicle exploded. 

When Peter handed the child to the tearful father, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. 

No one had died, and that was the best outcome. 

However, what Peter Parker didn't expect was that the crowd suddenly started cheering. 

"Spider-Man!" 

Someone had shouted his nickname, and soon the gathered crowd joined in. 

"Spider-Man!" 

"Spider-Man!" 

When Peter heard the crowd chanting his name and raising their right hands in salute, a feeling he had never experienced before welled up in his heart. 

This feeling was incredibly complex, and Peter didn't know what to say in that moment. 

Just as Peter finished rescuing everyone, the American police finally arrived on the scene. 

The sound of sirens grew closer, interrupting Peter's emotional moment. 

He took a deep breath and waved to the crowd. 

"Thank you, thank you." 

After saying those two words of thanks, Peter leaped into the air and dove straight into the sea. 

The crowd rushed to the edge of the bridge to see what had happened. 

They watched as Peter shot a web and swung away like a graceful pendulum, disappearing from sight. 

The police, who had arrived late, joined the onlookers in watching Spider-Man's retreating figure. 

Their emotions were mixed. 

—— 

Just like in those American TV shows, the police's job was to set up a perimeter around the bridge. 

Then, they would call in professionals to handle the situation. 

Well, the so-called professionals were S.H.I.E.L.D., which was now operating underground. 

Of course, as an organization currently wanted by the U.S. government, S.H.I.E.L.D. still managed to find the classic scapegoat: 

The FBI. 

As for Ronan and the other bystanders, they were all taken to the police station to give statements. 

Although in many TV shows, the police are often portrayed as being tongue-tied by lawyers, the reality is not like that. 

At the very least, asking you to assist in a police investigation is a normal thing. 

Tonight, the New York Police Department was exceptionally busy. 

Not only did they have to deal with the usual homicides, shoplifting, and domestic violence cases, 

but there was also the sudden "Lizard Attack" incident. 

Perhaps New Yorkers had already gotten used to it, but the police had long since adapted to such chaos. 

After giving a detailed account of what had happened at the scene, Ronan was politely let go. 

However, Ronan didn't leave the police station. Instead, he made a detour to George Stacy's office. 

With such a major incident happening tonight, as the NYPD commissioner, George naturally couldn't go home to rest. 

At the moment, he was on the phone with some higher-ups. 

Hearing the knock on the door, George Stacy looked up and saw Ronan entering. He gestured for Ronan to come in. 

Then, he continued arguing with the person on the phone. 

From the sound of it, the caller was asking him what had happened. 

George Stacy was firm, stating that the investigation was still ongoing and that he would provide details once it was complete. 

After hanging up, George didn't immediately speak to Ronan. Instead, he dialed a few numbers. 

"Daly, if any more officials call, tell them I'm not here." 

"Where could I be? Just say I'm at the scene investigating." 

With that, George hung up the phone. 

Daly was George Stacy's secretary. 

"Looks like being the police commissioner isn't an easy job." 

Seeing George's exhausted expression, Ronan cracked a joke. 

In truth, everyone knew that in New York, almost any government position was manageable—except for one. 

That was the position of NYPD commissioner. 

Ever since Tony Stark became Iron Man, New York had never been peaceful. 

Although strange incidents had occurred in the U.S. before, most of them weren't in New York. 

But ever since the "civil war" in Tony Stark's family, New York seemed to be under some kind of curse. 

"At least it's better than being a homeless person on the streets, right?" 

George Stacy shrugged. 

The fact that he could still joke meant the situation wasn't too dire. 

After all, aside from those "acts of God," New York hadn't experienced any major incidents recently.

If George Stacy were to resign or request a transfer, the higher-ups who had called to reprimand him tonight would never agree. 

On one hand, he was doing a good job. 

On the other hand, no one would dare take his position. 

"Before I came here, Gwen told me to take good care of you." 

"You should call her and your wife to let them know you're safe." 

Ronan shrugged, slightly modifying what Gwen Stacy had told him. 

Hearing this, George Stacy slapped his forehead as if he had just remembered something. 

He immediately pulled out his phone and dialed home. 

It was late, but unsurprisingly, the call was answered quickly. 

After assuring them he was fine, George told them to rest early and hung up. 

"Thanks for reminding me. I would've forgotten again." 

"They're afraid of disturbing my work, so they don't dare call." 

"They just sit at home worrying. That's where I fall short as a husband and father." 

Putting down his phone, George Stacy smiled bitterly. 

In truth, as a husband and father, he was doing a pretty good job. 

"Nobody's perfect, and everyone has moments like this." 

"From what I've heard from Gwen, she's never said a bad word about you." 

Ronan smiled. This wasn't just flattery. 

At least in Ronan's eyes, George Stacy was an excellent father. 

He couldn't speak for other countries, but in the U.S., this was undeniable. 

"Looks like I'm doing a decent job as a father." 

"But speaking of which, from what you said earlier, it sounds like you and Gwen were on the Brooklyn Bridge too?" 

George Stacy, being an experienced cop, picked up on the subtle hint in Ronan's words. 

"Yep, we were at that party." 

"We got stuck in traffic on the bridge, which is why we were brought to the police station to assist with the investigation." 

Ronan shrugged. 

When he saw the strange look in George Stacy's eyes, Ronan couldn't help but smirk. 

"After December, I'll be 17." 

Ronan's point was simple: he was legally allowed to drive. 

"What about Gwen?" 

"Is she—" 

George Stacy was about to ask if she was here too, but then he remembered that Gwen had answered the phone earlier. 

So, he stopped mid-sentence. 

"I sent her home first. As for how—" 

"You probably already know." 

Ronan didn't bother hiding it. 

In fact, whether he hid it or not didn't matter anymore, because Gwen had already told him about the time George saw the two of them stepping out of a portal and the subsequent outburst from the overprotective father. 

Ahem. 

The key point was stepping out of a portal. 

"Alright, I have to admit, your abilities—" 

George Stacy didn't finish his sentence. 

Although he was certain there were no bugs or listening devices in his office, 

you could never be too careful. 

As an experienced cop, he was always cautious about these things. 

"Don't worry, I get what you're saying." 

"I won't put Gwen in danger. Even if I'm not by her side, she won't be in harm's way." 

"Even in the worst-case scenario, she'll be transported to safety immediately." 

Ronan smiled at George Stacy, understanding what the man was trying to say. 

Ronan's abilities were indeed impressive, but in George's eyes, Gwen, who had no powers, was in danger. 

If someone discovered Ronan's identity and couldn't deal with him directly, they would surely target Gwen. 

So, in a way, Gwen's risk had increased. 

"I feel better hearing that." 

"I have to say, you're way more mature than a typical 17-year-old." 

George Stacy glanced at Ronan and nodded approvingly. 

This was the first time he truly acknowledged Ronan. 

Before this, he might have had some goodwill toward Ronan. 

But from today onward, he felt a sense of reassurance about entrusting his daughter to him. 

"Since you've praised me so much, I can't just accept it without giving something back." 

"Here are two little things—one for you and one for your wife." 

"If someone finds out about my identity, Gwen would be their second target, and you and your wife would be third and fourth." 

"This little thing can block the equivalent of three RPG attacks." 

"And it will notify me if you're in danger." 

"Even if I can't come personally for some reason, my friends will help you." 

With that, Ronan placed two talisman-like objects on the table. 

These were defensive runes made from ancient symbols, though they were single-use. 

Once the energy inside was depleted, the talismans would shatter. 

In an emergency, the two runes could merge to provide even stronger protection. 

Ronan wasn't the type to only think about the present. Knowing that Gwen and her family could be in danger, he had already made preparations. 

Otherwise, he'd be an idiot. 

"Your friends?" 

"Friends like you?" 

George Stacy picked up the talismans. He didn't refuse Ronan's gift. 

On one hand, his job was inherently dangerous, and he often made enemies with criminals. 

Sometimes he wondered what would happen to his family if something happened to him while he was away. 

On the other hand, any sane person—especially one who had no issues with Ronan—would be a fool to refuse. 

Ronan shrugged but didn't answer George's question. 

The message was clear: you figure it out. 

Of course, George didn't press further. He simply put the talismans away. 

"Since you're here today, I'd like to hear your thoughts." 

"About that giant lizard—do you think there's something off about it?" 

George Stacy suddenly brought up the topic. 

"Of course there's something off. While some lizards can grow quite large, they're never that big." 

"There are only a few possible explanations for something like that." 

Ronan gave a few hints. 

Although he knew the lizard wasn't just a lizard but a person, he had no evidence to back that up. 

"Are you saying someone's conducting biochemical experiments on lizards, resulting in something that big?" 

George Stacy asked in return. 

"That's probably part of it, but the specifics are unclear." 

"What I saw was that this lizard was no ordinary lizard. Its strength far exceeds that of a human by dozens of times." 

"It could easily lift a car weighing several tons with one hand and throw it into the sea." 

"Even when Spider-Man showed up and defeated it, it didn't fight back. Instead, it turned and fled." 

"That shows the lizard has high intelligence." 

"It's not just a case of a lizard being enlarged." 

Ronan recounted the events factually, though he added a bit of his own interpretation, such as the high intelligence. 

While this was his own addition, a few others had similar thoughts, though not as confidently as Ronan. 

"So, there's something even more bizarre than biological experiments going on?" 

George Stacy frowned. 

Even with his experience, he couldn't immediately imagine a case of a human turning into a lizard. 

Even though New York had recently been invaded by aliens, this was still beyond human comprehension.

Who could've imagined something like this? 

"I think so." 

"Actually, I have another theory that I didn't share with the police earlier." 

"Because it's just my own speculation." 

Ronan thought for a moment and decided to give his future father-in-law a bit more of a hint. 

If it could help George get a promotion, why not? 

"Go on." 

George Stacy's interest was piqued. 

"From what I observed, that lizard seemed to be looking for someone!"